Category: Mobile

Google ARCore Geospatial API expected to power new apps

Bird uses the ARCore Geospatial API to enable a scooter parking app. (Image: Bird)

Google has launched the ARCore Geospatial API in ARCore software development kits (SDKs) for Android and iOS across all compatible ARCore-enabled devices.

The application programming interface (API) is available at no cost to download and opens up nearly 15 years of Google Maps data to help developers build more useful and immersive augmented reality (AR) experiences.

“The Geospatial API provides access to global localization — the same technology that has been powering Live View in Google Maps since 2019, providing people with helpful AR-powered arrows and turn-by-turn directions,” explains a Google blog.

“Based on the Visual Positioning Service (VPS) with tens of billions of images in Street View, developers can now anchor content by latitude, longitude and altitude in more than 87 countries, without being there or having to scan the physical space, saving significant time and resources.

“For end users, discovering and interacting with AR is faster and more accurate as images from the scanned environment are instantaneously matched against our model of the world,” the blog states. “This model is built using advanced machine-learning techniques, which extract trillions of 3D points from Street View images that are then used to compute a device’s position and orientation in less than a second.

“In other words, users can be anywhere Street View is available, and just by pointing their camera, their device understands exactly where it is, which way it is pointed and where the AR content should appear, almost immediately.”

Early-access partners include the NBA, Snap and Lyft, who are exploring and building applications in areas such as education, entertainment and utilities. For example, micromobility companies Bird, Lime and WeMo are using the API to remove friction from parking e-scooters and e-bikes, adding pinpoint accuracy so that riders know exactly when their vehicle is in a valid parking spot. Lime has been piloting its app in London, Paris, Tel Aviv, Bordeaux, Madrid and San Diego.

June 4, 2022
OneNav completes pureL5 field test using customer evaluation system

The commercially available L5-only GNSS solution includes machine-learning algorithms to leverage increased L5 signal-ranging precision in challenging signal conditions.

OneNav has announced performance results from field testing its latest pureL5 customer evaluation system (CES) software in both open-sky and challenging signal environments.

The patent-pending oneNav GNSS system, including a custom array processor and a library of machine-learning algorithms, demonstrated consistent sub-meter accuracy and rapid time-to-first-fix (<2 sec) in open-sky testing.

In very challenging urban and deep urban canyon environments, the pureL5 CES field-test equipment outperformed the commercial precision L1 GNSS unit against which it was compared, demonstrating tracking of satellite signals as weak as –160 dBm.

The oneNav system was able to acquire directly and track L5 signals in all environments with no L1 receiver present, greatly simplifying the RF front end and antenna subsystem and making the pureL5 solution suitable for space- and power-constrained mobile and internet of things (IoT) devices requiring reliable high performance.

Results of a representative urban drive test route are shown below (the map describes the route driven). During this test, the CES and the commercial precision L1 receiver were both connected to a common antenna, fixes were taken once/second, and the results were compared to a common ground truth position. On average, the oneNav system demonstrated a 55% improvement in accuracy over the precision.

Image: oneNav

OneNav’s family of algorithms improves pureL5 system performance by predicting whether the received signal is line of sight (LOS) and correcting non-line-of-sight (NLOS) signals to increase the number of measurements available for accurate positioning.

The pureL5 algorithms characterize signal and multipath environments. Accordingly, algorithms developed in one deep urban area can be used to mitigate multipath in areas geographically different, but that present similar multipath signatures. This obviates the need for field-test teams to collect data in thousands of urban areas around the globe.

May 23, 2022
Amateurs with smartphones help monitor GNSS signals in space

This graphic represents measurements uploaded via the CAMALIOT app by thousands of volunteers. (Image: ESA)

More than 11,000 people around Europe and the world have turned their smartphones into GNSS monitoring tools by downloading the CAMALIOT app, so far delivering more than 53 billion measurements of meteorology and space weather patterns to researchers, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).

ESA asks CAMALIOT volunteers to leave their smartphones by a window each night with GNSS on. The phones record small variations in satellite signals, gathering data for machine-learning analysis. More than 50 smartphone models with dual-frequency receivers can use the app.

CAMALIOT was developed through ESA’s Navigation Innovation and Support Programme (NAVISP) with the support of the agency’s Navigation Science Office through its GNSS Science Support Centre. The combination of GNSS data, smartphone access and machine learning in support of science is a priority research line of ESA’s Navigation Science Office.

GNSS signals undergo scintillation as they pass through irregular plasma patches in the ionosphere. This electrically charged upper atmospheric layer is continuously changing, influenced by solar activity, geomagnetic conditions and the local time of day. Dual-frequency GNSS receivers can compensate for this effect by comparing their two frequencies.

As these signals head to Earth, they are also modified by the amount of water vapor in the lower atmosphere, helping to forecast rainfall in particular.

“Fixed satnav stations already monitor these effects, but these smartphone-based measurements are boosting our coverage hugely. We’re very gratified by all the support we’ve received,” said Vicente Navarro, ESA navigation engineer. ”These results will then undergo a Big Data machine-learning analysis, seeking out previously unseen patterns in both Earth and space weather.”

Formally known as the Application of Machine Learning Technology for GNSS IoT Data Fusion project, CAMALIOT is run by a consortium led by ETH Zurich in collaboration with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.

May 20, 2022
AT&T first carrier to route 9-1-1 calls with geolocation

U.S. cellular carrier AT&T is rolling out location-based routing to automatically transmit wireless 9-1-1 calls to the appropriate call centers.

Traditionally, wireless 9-1-1 calls were routed based on the location of cell towers, which can cover up to a 10-mile radius. This can cause delays in emergency response, especially when a call is made where state, county or city boundaries overlap.

With location-based routing, a device can be located and routed within 50 meters of the device location. Through a new “Locate Before Route” feature from Intrado, AT&T can quickly and more accurately identify where a wireless 9-1-1 call is coming from using device GNSS and hybrid information to route the call to the correct 9-1-1 call center.

Graphic: 911

The nationwide rollout has started and is available in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Guam. Additional regions will be rolled out over the next several weeks. The nationwide rollout is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.

May 20, 2022
Topcon represents construction industry in CampusOS 5G research project

Photo: Topcon

Topcon Positioning Germany is one of 22 partners involved in CampusOS, a research project with the goal of developing a modular ecosystem for open 5G campus networks based on open radio technologies and interoperable network components.

As part of the German technology program “Campus networks based on 5G communication technologies,” innovative solutions for open 5G networks are being developed and tested in conjunction with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. The program was launched at the beginning of 2022 and will run through 2025.

The use of artificial intelligence in the operation of autonomous plants and construction machinery requires the highest level of digital sovereignty. If Construction 4.0, including far-reaching automation, is to become a reality in Germany and the rest of the world, the processes of such data-driven solutions must run reliably, quickly and autonomously.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection is providing €18.1 million in funding for the technology program over the next three years, which will cost €33 million total. The Fraunhofer Institutes FOKUS and HHI are coordinating the project. 22 partners from industry and research are involved, including Deutsche Telekom, Siemens, Robert Bosch and more.

“To enable companies to operate their own campus networks, certain requirements must be met; from standardized technology building blocks to network structures,” explained Ulrich Hermanski, chief marketing officer of the Topcon Positioning Group. “As the sole representative of the construction industry, Topcon will test the technologies on reference test sites and, therefore, will help shape the solutions for the future. We look forward to working with our research partners to take the digital construction site to the next level.”

With this research project, construction companies will one day be able to operate plants and machinery autonomously in open campus networks. This will allow the fluid and uninterrupted monitoring of construction sites in real time, as well as the networking of all sensors and construction machines in use on construction sites.

Autonomous from public networks, 5G technology guarantees seamless machine-to-machine communication and transmits data 10 times faster than 4G.

May 17, 2022
5th GNSS Raw Measurements meeting set for May 17

Image: GPS World; outdoor, Andriy Solovyov/Shutterstock.com; indoor, Rade Kovac/Shutterstock.com

\Registration is now open for the fifth GNSS Raw Measurements Task Force meeting, which will take place on May 17. Participation is online, where participants will gain access to Task Force members’ experience and learn about progress on using raw measurements in Android devices.

The aim of the EUSPA’s Raw Measurements Task Force is to bridge the knowledge gap between raw measurement users. The meetings of the task force are a key element in this effort, providing a forum for stakeholders to share experience and knowledge around raw measurements use.

Following a welcome address from Fiammetta Dianithe, EUSPA’s head of Market, Downstream and Innovation (MADI) Department, the opening session will include a keynote presentation from Google`s Frank Van Diggelen and Mohammed Khider. Updates on EGNSS opportunities from the Galileo programme will be provided by members of the MADI team.

After the break, the agenda will be dedicated to presentations from Task Force members, targeting their innovative work using raw measurements. The last session focuses on testing results and implementation of EGNSS differentiators. For the full draft agenda, click here.

Join the Task Force

The GNSS Raw Measurements Task Force is dedicated to promoting a better and wider use of GNSS raw measurements.

Since its launch in 2017, the task force has expanded from a handful of experts to a community of more than 100 agencies, universities, research institutes and companies. Membership is open to anybody interested in GNSS raw measurements. To join the task force, contact [email protected].

May 12, 2022
PassTime launches Encore 3 for long-life asset tracking

Photo: PassTime

PassTime asset-tracking company has launched Encore 3, the third-generation of its wireless GNSS tracking platform.

Encore 3 builds upon the device platform introduced in 2019. It’s low power consumption results in extensive battery life, as much as several years. It can select and switch among four power modes so that customers can choose the features and reporting frequency they desire while balancing the battery-life options that meet their business objectives.

The compact Encore platform is self-powered, offering customers the ability to place an Encore device on an endless number of mobile assets within seconds. An optional, external power cable can be used to enhance the device’s functionality even further. Encore 3 features an updated, modern USB-C connector for the optional external cable, for improved ease of use and connectivity.

Encore 3 is built with Cat-M1 LTE cellular technology for connectivity and provides 5G compatibility.

May 10, 2022
Semtech extends LoRa Edge for seamless worldwide asset tracking
The new LoRa Edge LR1120 enables satellite-based networks and simplifies terrestrial network interoperability

Image: Semtech

Semtech Corp. has added multi-band capabilities to its LoRa Edge device-to-cloud geolocation platform.

The LoRa Edge LR1120 allows for direct satellite-connected internet of things (IoT) applications in supply-chain management and logistics with seamless low-power geolocation on a global scale, the company said.

“Semtech’s LoRa is targeting track and trace challenges faced by the logistics industry today with a geolocation IoT platform adapted to global transportation and mass-scale asset management,” said Marc Pégulu, vice president of IoT product marketing for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group. “With the launch of multi-band LoRa support, coupled with LoRa Cloud services, it has never been easier to expand ubiquitous IoT connectivity and geolocation globally.”

With LoRa Edge LR1120, intercontinental logistics companies can leverage highly integrated, ultra-low-power trackers with enhanced interoperability, more versatile connectivity for a simpler operation, and global mobility across multiple regulatory regions, Semtech said. Additionally, the possibility to offer a low-power and low-cost sensor with satellite connectivity unlocks a multitude of use cases in infrastructure monitoring, agriculture and environmental monitoring that require deployment in remote areas, which tend to be capital intensive.

“Combining LoRa with small, relatively low-cost LEO satellites will change the game for LoRa and IoT,” said Christopher Taylor, director, RF & Wireless with Strategy Analytics. “Adding satellite communication capabilities in the S-band to LoRa can help replace aging SCADA monitoring and opens up new applications and markets, especially in remote regions. So far, LoRa has attracted the interest of several satellite companies including EchoStar and Lacuna.”

Key Features of LoRa Edge LR1120:
- multi-band LoRa capability (sub-GHz, 2.4 GHz and licensed S-band for satellite) and multi-technology geolocation using GNSS for outdoor and Wi-Fi for indoor, as well as areas where satellite coverage is poor
- LoRa Cloud geolocation solver, which transfers the location processing workload from the device to the cloud, making “deploy once” battery life possible
- supported by the GPS and BeiDou constellations
- hardware crypto engine for increased security.
May 10, 2022
RedLore launches high-accuracy onsite positioning solution

RedLore has launched a high-resolution version of Locus Site, its patented solution for high-accuracy onsite positioning. The real-time location system (RTLS) pinpoints assets down to one-half foot or 15 cm without requiring wiring throughout the facility.

Locus Site provides high-accuracy tracking for companies and facilities where installing wires is not possible. A 200,000-square-foot facility can be equipped with positioning capability in one day.

“The world’s logistical processes are today stretched to the breaking point,” said RedLore CEO Niek Van Dierdonck. “Keeping track, in real-time, of the location and condition of assets onsite and during loading and unloading provides an immediate improvement in efficiencies. Locus Site offers exactly that at a fraction of the cost and burden of other systems.” The system uses wireless sensors and asset tags, configured with a desktop app and supported by a mobile app.

Locus Site is used by manufacturers, healthcare service providers, construction companies, logistics companies and others to track everything in their facility without manual intervention.

May 5, 2022
ION and Google host Smartphone Decimeter Challenge

Photo: Google

Winners will present their projects at ION GNSS+ 2022 in Denver

The Institute of Navigation’s Satellite Division, in partnership with Google, will host the 2nd annual Smartphone Decimeter Challenge, with the winning teams presenting their methods at the ION GNSS+ 2022 meeting. ION GNSS+ 2022 takes place Sept. 19–23 at the Hyatt Regency Denver, adjacent to the Colorado Convention Centerx.

The Smartphone Decimeter Challenge is designed to advance research in smartphone GNSS positioning accuracy using state-of-the-art algorithms and technologies such as advanced machine learning models and precision GNSS algorithms.

While standard receivers using signals from GPS, other GNSS (Galileo, BeiDou, GLONASS) and regional systems (QZSS and IRNSS) provide accuracy between 3 and 10 meters (often worse in urban environments), better location can be obtained by processing carrier-phase measurements, inertial measurement unit (IMU) data, and base station corrections.

Teams will use datasets collected using the GPS receivers and IMUs of Android smartphones to compute location down to an accuracy of decimeters. Mobile users will benefit from lane-level-accuracy-based services, enhanced experience in location-based gaming, and greater specificity in location of road safety issues.

Winner selection is based on the accuracy of results from the test datasets compared to highly accurate ground truth. The top three winners will receive prizes valued at $15,000+ including a guaranteed speaking slot at the highly competitive ION GNSS+ 2022 conference (subject to technical paper and ION presentation requirements); a travel subsidy; and complimentary registration to attend ION GNSS+ 2022 in Denver.

Entries must be received by July 29.

May 2, 2022
DOD authorizes GPS signal processing for 5G shared spectrum

iPosi’s in-building SMART 5G measures the loss profile to protect military and commercial spectrum from interference in shared or adjacent bands. (Image: iPosi)

The Defense Spectrum Office (DSO) of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has contracted iPosi Inc. and Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation (VT-ARC) to develop a GPS/GNSS system to measure radio frequency path loss that substantially increases shared spectrum without interference.

The contract addresses the need for increased shared spectrum between DOD and wireless providers who require expanded access because of skyrocketing demand for broadband 5G spectrum.

The iPosi loss-profile technology automates measurements of GPS/GNSS controlled satellite signal transmissions. Once compiled, these form precise intelligent arrays ultimately characterized as an intensity-based 3D loss-contour map.

As satellites move across the sky, their signals illuminate radio path obstructions precisely. The 3D map is specific to each site sharing the channel. Each loss-map determines the extent of shared channel radio isolation with a low-error loss between wireless entities, and continuously updates to maintain interference-free channels.

Though applied initially to sharing DOD ground-to-air systems with commercial wireless services, the technology has wide applications for other 5G services, iPosi said.

“This relationship is an important foundation for DoD and commercial applications of our technology across a wide range of spectrum sharing initiatives,” said Richard Lee, CEO of iPosi. “We look forward to collaborating with our partners to enable greater spectrum sharing.”

The agreement represents a collaboration among multiple academic and industry partners, one of several endeavors by the Defense Information Systems Agency and Defense Spectrum Organization under the Spectrum Sharing Test & Evaluation (SSTD) project as part of the DOD Advanced Wireless Systems–3 (AWS-3) spectrum transition program.

The iPosi/VT-ARC technology would enable a substantial increase in protected, interference-free wireless service that operates in DoD or federal government bands. Once scaled, it could also support broader civilian and federal shared spectrum operations essential to both spectrum protection and growth of 5G.

Lee cites iPosi’s three-year relationship with VT-ARC and DISA/DSO as an important foundation for commercial and government applications of iPosi’s GPS-based loss-profiling technology. The earlier collaboration led to field validation of new tomographic wireless propagation measurements that enable sharing between new 5G and DOD in common 1-10 GHz mid-band spectrum blocks.

April 13, 2022
ESA app turns smartphones into space monitoring tools

Image: ESA

A new Android app released by the European Space Agency (ESA) turns smartphones equipped with dual-frequency GNSS receivers into instruments for crowdsourced science.

The CAMALIOT app, developed through ESA’s Navigation Innovation and Support Programme (NAVISP) with the support of the GNSS Science Support Centre, is suitable for more than 50 smartphone models.

Using the CAMALIOT app, the phones will record small variations in satellite signals, gathering data for machine learning analysis of meteorology and space weather patterns.

As well as helping to create new Earth and space weather forecasting models, participants are also in with the chance to win prizes including new phones and Amazon vouchers. This four-month “citizen science” campaign runs until the end of July.

“The precisely modulated signals continuously generated by the dozens of GNSS satellites in orbit are proving a valuable resource for science, increasingly employed to study Earth’s atmosphere, oceans and surface environments,” said ESA navigation engineer Vicente Navarro. “Our GNSS Science Support Centre was created to help support this trend.”

For instance, tens of thousands of permanent GNSS stations are continuously recording GNSS data. As the satellite signals travel down to Earth they are modified by the amount of water vapor in the lower atmosphere, helping to forecast rainfall in particular.

GNSS signals also undergo delay and fading — known as scintillation — as they pass through irregular plasma patches in the ionosphere. This electrically charged upper atmospheric layer is continuously changing, influenced by solar activity, geomagnetic conditions and the local time of day. Dual-frequency GNSS receivers can compensate for this effect by comparing their two frequencies.

“The combination of Galileo dual band smartphone receivers and Android’s support for raw GNSS data recording is what opened up the prospect of supplementing data from these fixed GNSS stations with tens of millions of smartphones, vastly increasing our density of coverage,” Vincente said. “We took inspiration from the famous ‘SETI@home’ initiative, where home laptops help seek out signs of extraterrestrial life.”

The results can then undergo a Big Data machine learning approach, seeking out previously unseen patterns in both Earth and space weather.

“This is our first step in enlarging GNSS data acquisition using an internet of things data-fusion approach, employing novel sources such as fixed sensors and drones as well as smartphones,” Vincente said. “A wide range of other applications are also possible for the system, including improving the performance of GNSS systems.”

Formally known as the Application of Machine Learning Technology for GNSS IoT Data Fusion project, CAMALIOT is run by a consortium led by ETH Zurich (ETHZ) in collaboration with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).

“The CAMALIOT effort was underpinned by Element 1 of our NAVISP research programme, spurring innovation in satellite navigation,” said Pierluigi Mancini, ESA’s NAVISP program manager.

March 24, 2022